Otis Redding Top 10 Songs of All Time

Take a look at the below list of Otis Redding Top 10 Songs and Albums of All Time.Otis Redding was a great American musician and a songwriter in the 1960s. He sang at a time when racism was rampant in America; that’s when people of color used to be referred to as African-Americans. The songs are meant to reduce tension between the whites and the people of color, whereby the whites were ruling over the people of color. In most occasions, the people of color were enslaved. Otis dies at the age of 26 in a fatal plane crash. He represented the blacks living their ordinary lives in a nation dominated by the whites.

List of Top 10 songs by Otis Redding of all time

10. “Cigarettes and Coffee.”

The song is from ‘The Soul’ album. Redding talks about how he met his lover, after a long time of dissatisfaction. Nothing worked right for him until the day he met his love. Otis spent the whole night talking about cigarettes and drinking coffee with her, which gave him deep satisfaction. He tries to describe his agony of persecution, all in the name of love. It’s a great romantic song; that intends to win his lover to himself, by convincing her that the other girls that he met before could not fit in.

9. “(Sittin’On) the Dock of the Bay.”

This song is from the album ‘The Dock of The Bay.’ It is a song that demonstrated the state of hopelessness in America in the 1960’s and 1970’s. “Am just sitting on the dock of the bay; watching time roll away.” The singer says that things seem not to change, things are all the same. It demonstrates a state of loneliness, which causes him to flee from home and seek refuge on the dock.

8. “That’s How Strong My Love Is”

‘That’s How Strong Love Is’ is a song from the album ‘The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads.’ Redding uses symbolism to describe how strong his love is, for his lover. For instance,” I’ll be the moon when the sun goes down.”In times of weeping, his lover will be drowning in his tears. It is a romantic song, to demonstrate how black men could confess, just to feel good about themselves.

7. “Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa (Sad Song)”

It is from the album ‘Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul’.It’s a song that Otis tries to convince his audience that he is not always sad. The previous compositions contained elements of sadness and therefore, in this song he just intended to entertain.

6. “Tramp.”

The black men could not meet the high expectations of the black women. Hence, the men had their way of expressing their love for these women. This song is from the album ‘King & Queen’. The black people believed in themselves despite the fact that they were poor. They didn’t have money to please women who wanted precious life. The women thought that these black men had nothing material that they could offer. “You probably haven’t even got even twenty-five cents.”

5. “Mr. Pitiful”

This song is from the album ‘The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul.’ It is about a black man pretending to be neglected so that he could win his lover. He lies to his girlfriend that he had lost someone like her, that’s the reason he became famous as Mr. pitiful. He uses psychology to win her, by singing a sad song about his life to her. The black men didn’t have many options to win lovers for themselves. They were pushed too far, such as acting like victims of circumstances to get women for themselves.

4. “Shake.”

It’s a song about letting go of the current situation to cope with the future. This song is from the album ‘Otis Blue: Ottis Redding Sings Soul.’ It’s an entertaining song as well and giving someone hopes for tomorrow. “There’s a new thing going around now.” It emphasizes on ignoring the current circumstances and focusing on something good that will happen shortly.It’s shaking it off and acquiring freedom to face a better life. This is one of the Otis Redding Top 10 Songs of All Time.

3. “These Arms of Mine.”

The song comes from the “Pain in My Heart’ album. ‘This Arms of Mine’ is a song concerning the increase in the child-birth rate increase of the black people in America. Men and women had now become fond of each other. Men had time to proof their strength of their manhood in their bedrooms. ‘These arms of mine, they are burning, burning from wanting you.’ Men were now able to express their feelings to their wives.

2. ‘I’ve been loving you too long (To Stop Now)’

‘I’ve been loving you too long’ is a song whereby a lover did something wrong to the other lover, yet he still wants to hold on. The track is as a result of the long time friendship they have shared, which makes it difficult for them to part. It is from the album ‘Otis Blue’: Otis Redding Sings Soul. One of the lovers is growing more in love. On the contrary, the other is getting tired and finding their love as a habit.

1. “Try A Little Tenderness.”

This song as well talks about child –birth rate increase. The black men had gained confidence in themselves and could make love with their wives. ‘All you gotta do is, man, hold her where you want her. Squeeze her, don’t tease her, never leave her.’ This song is from the album ‘Complete and Unbelievable:’ The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul. It emphasizes on affection that women desire to get from men, rather than anything material.

Otis Redding Final Songs of All Time

1. ‘Sittin’ on’ the dock of the bay

In this song, Otis seems to have lost hope in life due to the situation that he was in.He had moved from Georgia to flee from his home. Things never seemed to change, and Otis feels so lonely. He sought refuge on the dock. He appears to have lost the taste of life unchanging nature; thus he desired to stay away from his people, his home and maybe, death was calling him home.

Otis Redding was one of the most famous American artists who influenced souls of many individuals in the 1960s through his music style. His music was full of creativity, and this makes it hold its relevance even today.